Eminence In Shadow- Nah, I’d Win (DxD / Strike The Blood)

Hours Earlier—

In the wake of Cid's departure from the café, two figures stepped inside and closed in on Kanon Kanon.

The first—a green-haired woman in a crimson suit—leaned down, her voice dripping with malice as she spoke into Kanon's ear.

"We've been looking everywhere for you, little bitch.

Playtime's over. It's time to get back to the lab."

Kanon flinched.

"…I understand, Beatrice."

Her voice trembled—weak and resigned.

The woman smirked and straightened up, gesturing for Kanon to follow.

Kanon obeyed without another word, trailing behind them like a shadow.

By the time the car started, Kanon was sitting in the back seat, staring blankly ahead while the driver—another vampire—began talking.

"I don't know what that old bastard Kanon was thinking," she muttered.

"Giving you this ridiculous 'farewell tour' like you're some kind of human.

But I think you need to be reminded—"

She threw a glance at the rearview mirror, her crimson eyes narrowing at Kanon's blank expression.

"You're not a person.

You're a tool.

An experiment.

And the next time your 'father' requests something this idiotic, you better remind him what's at stake."

The woman's words were sharp and venomous, but Kanon didn't react.

She didn't flinch.

Didn't blink.

Didn't even move.

It was as though she hadn't heard a word.

Beatrice's grip tightened on the wheel.

If this had been anyone else, she would've snapped their neck by now.

The only thing holding her back was the fact that this fragile girl—

This pitiful, broken tool—

Was the key to the experiment's success.

For now.

But if she failed?

Well—

Tools could always be replaced.

"Otherwise, to save us some trouble, we might just make sure your little sweetheart doesn't have the time to come looking for you—or perhaps, we could bring her to the lab and let her see your true colors."

The words carried a veneer of casual advice, but whether it was the so-called "tool" mentioned or the underlying threat that followed, malice seeped through every syllable.

"No! Don't hurt Cid! I'll behave—I promise, so please…"

Since getting into the car, Kanon Kanon hadn't uttered a single word. Even the earlier taunts, laden with disdain and cruelty, had failed to stir the slightest reaction from her. Yet now, for the first time, her voice wavered with emotion.

"Huh?"

The sudden shift caught both the vampire and the beastkin in the front seats off guard. They exchanged brief, wordless glances, their expressions tinged with disbelief.

They knew all too well how dulled Kanon's senses had become. 

As one of the experimental test subjects for the human weapon project, "Synthetic Angel," most of her sensory functions had been forcibly shut down to prevent her from succumbing to pain during combat.

Her sense of touch, smell, and taste were all but destroyed, leaving only her hearing to receive commands and her vision to monitor surroundings.

But this severing of nerves had not only dulled her body—it had eroded her emotions as well.

After all, human emotions are deeply rooted in biochemical reactions—hormones, dopamine, and adrenaline. 

While emotions do possess an element of randomness, they cannot exist without these chemical triggers.

The vampire had spoken earlier purely out of boredom, tossing out threats to entertain herself during the monotonous drive. 

The mockery and anger had been nothing more than reflexive habits—who would bother getting genuinely upset over an emotionless, disposable experiment with one foot already in the grave?

In fact, the moment the words left her mouth, she had already dismissed the matter and refocused on driving.

The thought that Kanon might respond had never even crossed her mind.

Yet here she was—responding, and even pledging obedience.

That unexpected reaction was enough to make the two front-seat passengers pause in astonishment.

"Good. That's more like it."

The atmosphere in the car quickly settled, but the sudden increase in speed betrayed the tension lingering beneath the surface. 

At this pace, it wasn't long before they arrived at their destination—the Magitech Laboratory.

Once the vehicle came to a halt, Beatrice, the vampire, led Kanon out of the car and straight toward a middle-aged man waiting nearby.

"Mr. Kanase, we've brought Kanon back as requested. If possible, please begin the experiment as soon as you can. The company's been pushing us pretty hard for results."

Despite the polite tone, her words carried a subtle urgency.

Kanon Kensei, however, didn't immediately respond. Instead, his eyes drifted toward the beastkin, who had stepped away and was now engaged in a phone call on the far side of the lot.

"You know how it is, Mr. Kanase," Beatrice added with a nervous chuckle, filling the silence. "The company's been breathing down our necks for weeks. We're the only ones they can pressure to keep things moving."

Finally, Kanase turned back to her, his gaze sharp.

"If you want these Synthetic Angels to operate flawlessly, we need observation periods after every test. Their bodies must fully adapt to the spiritual cores, and we have to monitor for any unforeseen anomalies."

His voice carried the kind of authority that made objections difficult.

"Unless, of course, you're volunteering to handle any… complications that arise."

He paused before adding, "And besides, hasn't the emergence of global warzones been a goldmine for your company? All you're after now is an even stronger weapon, isn't it?"

Beatrice listened patiently, her smile never faltering despite the veiled accusations.

"Hahaha, you're quite the joker, Mr. Kanase. You know as well as I do that ever since the witches formed Neserell, they've cornered most of the arms trade worldwide."

Her laughter, light as it was, barely concealed the bitterness behind it.

"Well, since you've made yourself clear, I won't take up any more of your time. I'll be heading out now."

And with that, Beatrice turned and walked away, leaving Kensei alone with Kanon and the ominous silence of the lab.

Beatrice exchanged a few quick words with the beastkin before gesturing for them to leave. 

After watching them go, Kanon Kensei turned away and addressed Kanon without so much as a glance back.

"Let's go, Kanon. We need to run a diagnostic on your body and check for any signs of rejection in the spiritual core."

He strode forward but paused after a few steps.